A Vision of Horror Coming True

I have written about this before but it has to be said again. The murderous brutality showered upon the Palestinians by the Israeli military and Israel’s political leaders is a travesty beyond, in my opinion, any justification.

Where are the voices for peace between Arabs and Jews? Where are world leaders saying enough of this bloodbath between Israel and Palestine? Where is there even a single recognizable person of influence willing to ask why Israel continues to destroy Gaza, building by building taking with them the lives of children and people simply wanting to have a normal life? Where are those voices? There are none.

I understand all of the arguments against Hamas and its group of violent extremists. But there is nothing fair about the imbalance of power between Israel and Palestine. And why the world is not opposing this I cannot understand.

Journalist and author Joshua Frank has made the obvious point that the continuous push of Israel to ultimately remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip by building more settlements and by military threats only serve to incite more violence and mayhem. He writes of the Palestinians, “Living under brutal occupation, decade after decade, has produced elements of extremism, as was the case of the kidnapped and murdered Israeli teens. But what of Israel, a so-called beacon of democracy (even as Israel kills and forces Palestinians off their ancestral homeland), where a Palestinian boy was burned alive in spiteful revenge? Such acts only empower and serve as recruitment tools for Hamas.”

Hamas lobs flimsy missiles into Israel most of them shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome, a sophisticated air defense system, while Israel deploys ferocious laser beamed high pay load missiles into Gaza killing everyone and everything in sight. Although they claim they are giving people warnings ahead of time the death toll continues to climb. A few minutes warning hardly prepares families to escape before a vastly superior bomb savagely penetrates the tiny crowded buildings and narrow streets in Gaza.

The US continues to support this insanity and President Obama recently said in an op-ed piece he wrote for one of Israel’s oldest newspapers that America would continue to unconditionally assist Israel’s defense. Nothing was said about the Palestinians.

The Arabs and Jews have been at each other’s throats for centuries. Their fight is over religious beliefs, land disputes, cultural differences, and just plain pride.

Across the world the most vulnerable people are being bullied, threatened, and mercilessly forced into submission by the great powers that once stood for peace, justice, and world-wide cooperation. The US is one of those powers. As is Israel.

When I look at our crippled world and the staggering hordes of oppressed people in it and the arrogant, domineering powers viciously against them, I cannot help but think of George Orwell’s frightening doomful prediction, “If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.”

Only great courage and heart from the oppressed--and determined, compassionate and intelligent change from the oppressors--will ever make such a portentous vision invalid.

If I had five minutes to evacuate--what would I take with me?

If I was told there was a bomb in my building and I had five minutes to evacuate my apartment I’d grab a grocery bag and quickly toss these items into it: 1. A photo of my grandparents, Mom and Pop and me, when I was 15 years old. I learned what love is made of from them. I learned what it is to be kissed on and hugged in arms so tender they felt like God’s arms. I discovered self worth from those two angels in human flesh. Of all the people in my life, they were the ones who made me feel I counted. Honestly, whatever capacity I have to love others came from them. 2. A sentimental, dog-eared, stars in the margin copy of Pat Conroy’s, “The Prince of Tides.” It is a book I have read three times and often return to for its wisdom. It is a harsh, profoundly tragic novel, the story of a family so broken and tortured by such flawed and wounded people that it is sometimes difficult to turn the next page. And yet it is the story of such Herculean courage and endurance that you want...

I Saw the Delicacy of Life

I was flying Across the deep And I saw the delicacy Of life Wrinkles on the faces Of the old So pure they glistened Like awards The joy of children Running with abandon Their laughter ringing Like chimes in the wind I saw the soft moving waves Across the sea And the trees releasing Their rainbow leaves Birds joined me on my flight And I saw the surface of their wings Adorned with patterns Glorious and unfurled I saw the tears of the sad And the smiles of the glad The suffering in mourning And the celebration of birth As I descended toward the ground Slowly, slowly, softly I saw the gentle grass of the field And smelled the fresh earth It was a perfect landing © 2018 Timothy Moody

Actions Make a Difference

“We make progress in society only if we stop cursing and complaining about its shortcomings and have the courage to do something about them.” ~ Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Physician/Author Pictured here is Kikuko Shinjo, 89 years old, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast. As a 17-year old nursing student she helped nurse victims of the carnage back to health. Many of them died in her care. She says she holds no grudge against America and encourages interaction between the Japanese and Americans. She has devoted her life to peace, saying, “I want all the people around the world to be friends, and I want to make my country peaceful without fighting.” Today she makes colorful paper cranes and donates them to the Children’s Peace Monument at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

The Unclad Soul

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